Projectile shooting toy



r April 14, 1942.

R. N. CARVER 2,279,386 PROJECTILE SHOOTING TOY Filed Sept. 15, .1941 2- Sheets-Shed 1 "s ur I" INVENTOR PlcHARD- N. CARVER B I V ATTORNEYS April 14, 1942.

R. N. CARVER I PROJECTILE SHOOTING TOY I Filed Sept. 15, 1941' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ll. Ii

INVENTOR RICH ARD N. CARVER ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 14, 1942 UNITED STAT-E 2,279,386 PROJECTILE snoo'rnve Tor Richard Nelson Carver,

. m a y,

Louis Marx a corporation of ss icr to Inc., New York, N. Y.,

New York I Application September 13, 1941, Serial No. 410,694 g 22 Claims.

This invention relates to toys, and more particularly to a toy tank which shoots projectiles as it runs.

Primary objects of my invention are to generally improve my guns and toy tanks. A more particular object is to provide a relatively powerful toy tank capable of climbing over obstacles in a realistic manner, and which at the same time forcefully ejects projectiles of substantial size through a simulated cannon.

Further specific objects of theinvention are to provide a relatively sturdy simplified ejector mechanism for the gun; to prevent interference between the ejector mechanism and the shaft operating the same; to provide adequate torque for operating the gun by using the main stem of the motor as the operating shaft; and to avoid operation of the gun as well as operation of the tank wheels when winding the spring motor.

Still further objects of the invention center about a the projectile magazine, and are to avoid an unsightly chimney-like projection on the tank or over the gun, and at the same time to simplify the structure and minimize the cost of the magazine, as well as to make the same readily removable when not in use, for more compact packaging of the tank.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing objects and such other objects as will hereinafter appear, my invention consists in the toy gunand tank elements and their relation one to the other as hereinafter are more particularly described in the specification and sought to be defined in the claims. 'The specification is accompanied by drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a side elevation of a tank embodying features of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a section through the forward por-' tion of the tank taken approximately in the plane of the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a similar but fragmentary section showing the relation of the parts as the ejector spring is being tensioned; i I

Fig. 5 is a similar section showing the relation of the parts as the ejector spring is fully tensioned and then released;

Fig. 6 is a transverse section takenapproximately in the plane of the line 6-6 of Fig. 4;

Fig. '7 is a section at the magazine andtaken substantially in the plane of the line I of Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing the construction of the gun barrel position. It

larly to Figs.

' designated S.

Fig. 9 shows the projectile used with the gun; Fig. 10 schematically illustrates a modified ejector spring mechanism;.and 1 Figwl'l' is a side elevation ofthe same. Referringto the drawings and more particul and 2, the complete toy comprises a tank body B which moves on caterpillar treads T. The tank includes a simulated gun G which is supplied with projectiles from a magazine M. Both the gun single spring motor housed within Considering the arrangement in greater detail, and referring now to Figs. 3-6, the projectile is fired by means of; an ejector spring generally The-upper end l2 of spring S is movablethrough the breech portion of the gun, and the latter is provided with an open slot 14 at the bottom for this Purpose. The spring is actuated by a spring-tens'ioning on a shaft l8 exte ding transversely across the tank. The lower end :20 of spring S is fixedly mounted at a point below the gun and substantiallybelow the shaft Hi. In the present case the wheel It; is a crank disc carryingv a 'crank pin 22. The crank pin rotates clockwise as viewed in Figs. 3, 4, and 5 of the drawings.

Referring to Fig. 4, the crank pin bears against the spring in the position. 22 and so bends the spring rearwardly'frorn the broken line position l2 to the solid line position i2. At this time the lowermost projectile 24' is raised or tilted slightly to accommodate the rearward movement of the spring. As the rotation of the crank proceeds, the crank pin 22 moves the spring to the solid line position shown in Fig. 5, at which time the crank pin reaches a sharp bend 2 6 in the spring. When the crank pin moves slightly-further to the broken line position 22 shownin Fig. 5, it clears the upwardlybent part 28 of th spring, thus permitting the latter to fiy forward to the broken line positions, During this forward movement, the upper end L2 strikes the rear end of projectile 29 and ejects 'it forcibly through the gun barrel. The [continued forward movement of the spring is arrested whenthe upright portion 30 thereof reaches the crank pin in its position 22. A sharp blow or percussive noise is produced at this time, which accompanies the ejection of the projectile and heightens the realism of the toy. During the continued rotation of the crank disc, the spring remains substantially in its forward will be oserved that the shapeof the spring S is such that the shaft l8 does not interferewith the movement of the spring.

G andtread T are driven by a the tankbody.

wheel l6 carried The magazine M is very simple in character and is best shown in Fig. referring to which bent wire of inverted U-shape. v 32 is curved ona radiuslarge enough to receive 5 the cylindrical projectiles. 34, but, the parallel legs 36 of the magazine relation and are received in -earsf 4 preferably 1151:

formed integrally with the gun.

With this arrangement it will be seen that a a be loaded'into the-magaof the'tank as much azine. Moreover,

proper loading of the magazine.

e gun G isrpreferably made of a single piece of sheet metal. Its construction is best shown in Fig. 8, A single piece of sheet metal is-turned downwardly at its edges to form a cylindrical barrel 50. Th edges preferably abut at the 4 two side plates-Billings.- 1 ;and12 --spaced apart 75 draw theendsfl from the ears 44,

upon squeeze the sidesl of the magazine together while continuing to withdraw the wardly out of the tank body. I v

The tank (is driven by. a spring motor having a main windingystem I8. This extends all the way through the tank from one side to the other and may be bent at one end to form an integral winding key 10 (Fig. 2

governor described box formed by side The step-up gearing and? carried in a gear other is associated with the wheel IS. The latter is shown in Figs. 3 and 6, and comprises a toothed ratchet wheel II8 mounted on main stem I8 and cooperatingwith a dog I20 pivotally mounted at M2 on wheel I6 and acted on by a spring wire I24 carried on wheel I6. During winding of the spring motor the crank pin 22 reaches a position of rest in the acutely bent part of the spring S, as is shown in Fig. 3, thus preventing rotation of the crank disc. The other ratchet mechanism is shown in Fig. 6 and comprises a ratchet wheel I26 identical with the ratchet wheel H8 and cooperating with a similar dog, the said dog being carried on the face of main gear 18 in the same manner that the dog I20 is carried on the face of crank I6. It will be evident that with this arrangement the spring motor may be wound without rotating either the main gear 18 or the crank disc I6.

A modified form of ejector mechanism for the gun is shown in Figs. and 11. In this arrangement the spring is a flat steel spring I30 having its lower end I32 fixed in'position beneath the gun and beneath the shaft I8, much as was previously described. The upper end is narrowed to form a thin head I34 adapted to move in the slot at the breech of the gun. The spring is slotted or cut away at I36. The spring is operated on by a wheel I38 carried on shaft I8, but

in this case the wheel I38 is a cam rather than a crank. Rotation of the cam bends the spring I30 rearwardly until the point I46 of the cam reaches the upper end of the slot I36 whereupon the spring flies forwardly. A noise simulating the firing of the gun is produced when the spring hits the small radius part I42 of the cam.

The cam I38 is preferably provided with ratchet mechanism similar to that previously described and including a ratchet wheel cooperating with a dog I20 acted on by a spring I24. It will be evident that with this arrangement the operation will be as previously described, and further that the shaft I8 will not interfere with the desired range of movement of the ejection spring.

It is believed that the constructionand operation, as well as the advantages of my improved toy gun and tank will be apparent from the fore going detailed description. The magazine is readily loaded with projectiles, and these cannot change from the desired parallel relation. The tank is wound while the motor is held against unwinding by the starting lever. As the tank is wound there is no movement of the caterpillar tread nor of the gun mechanism. When the starting lever is released the tank is propelled forwardly with a powerful drive enabling it to surmount steep obstacles. As it proceeds the projectiles are fired forcibly from the gun at well spaced intervals. Each discharge is accompanied by a percussive noise simulating the firing of a cannon. The ejector mechanism is simple and rugged in character and provides a forcible ejection of the projectile. Adequate torque for the same is provided by using the slow speed main stem of the motor. The magazine is simple and inexpensive in construction, effective in appearance, and is readily removed for compact packaging of the tank during shipment and sale.

It will be apparent that while I have shown and described my invention in preferred forms, many changes and modifications may be made in the structures disclosed, without departing from the spirit of the invention as sought to be defined in the following claims.

the breech portion, of said gun,

I claim:

1. A toy comprising a spring motor having a shaft extending thereacross, a gun extending transversely over said shaft, a magazine for supporting a series of projectiles. over the breech portion of said gun, anejector spring having its upper end movable in a slot in the breech portion of the gun and having its lower end fixedly mounted beneath said gun and shaft, and a spring-tensioning wheel mounted on the shaft and arranged to bend the ejector spring rearwardly and to abruptly release the same for forward movement in order to eject the lowermost projectilefrom the gun, said wheel and ejector spring being so relatively shaped that the shaft of the motor does not interfere with the desired movement of the spring.

2. A toy tank comprising a tank body, wheels, endless treads around said wheels, a spring motor having a shaft extending transversely through the tank body, gearing between said shaft and said wheels, a gun projecting forwardly from said tank over said shaft, a magazine for sup-porting a series of projectiles over an ejector spring having its upper end movable in a slot in the breech portion of the gun and having its lower end fixedly mounted therebeneath, and a springtensioning wheel mounted on the shaft and arranged to bend the ejector spring rearwardly and to abruptly release the same for forward movement in order to eject the lowermost projectile from the gun, said wheel and ejector spring being sorelatively shaped that the shaft of the motor does not interfere with the desired movement of the spring.

3. A toy gun comprising a spring motor having a shaft extending thereacross, a gun extending transversely over said shaft, a magazine for supporting a series of projectiles over the breech portion of said gun, an ejector spring formed of a piece of bent spring wire having its upper end movable in a slot in the breech portion of the gun and having its lower end fixedly mounted beneath said gun and shaft, and a spring-tensioning crank disc mounted on said main stem and having a crank pin for operating on said spring, said spring being so bent with relation to the crank pin that it is moved rearwardly and abruptly released for forward movement .to eject the lowermost projectile through the gun, the spring being so bent and located that the shaft carrying the crank disc does not interfere with the desired movement of the spring.

4. A toy tank comprising a toy body, wheels, endless treads around said Wheels, a spring motor having a shaft extending transversely through the tank body, gearing between said shaft and said wheels, a gun projecting forwardly from said tank over said shaft, a magazine for supporting a series of projectiles over the breech portion of said gun, an ejector spring formed of a piece of bent spring wire having its upper end movable in a slot in the breech portion of the gun and having its lower end fixedly mounted beneath the gun and the shaft, and a spring-tensioning crank disc mounted on said shaft and having a crank pin for operating on said spring, said spring being so bent with relation to the crank pin that it is moved rearwardly and abruptly released for forward movement to eject the lowermost projectile through the gun, the spring being so bent and located that the shaft carrying the crank disc does not interfere with the desired movement of the spring.

the gun, an ejector spring for ejecting the projectiles from the gun, a spring-tensioning wheel ating on the gun. 6. A toy tank comprising a tank body, wheels,

tor having a main stem extending transversely spring may be wound without rotating the gearejector spring for e ecting the projectiles from the gun, a spring-tensioning wheel mounted on said mam stem for bending the spring rearand said wheel, whereby said motor may be wound without operating on the gun.

7. A toy comprising a spring motor having a shaft extending thereacross, a gun disposed transversely over said shaft, a magazine for supportion of said gun, an ejector spring having its moving said ejectorspring rearwardly and ab- 40 without operating on the gun.

8. A toy tank comprising a tank body, wheels,

endless treadsaround said wheels, a. spring motor having'a main stem extending transversely portion of said gun, an ejector springhaving its I main stem,'a spring-tensioning crank disk mounted on said main stem and ha operating on the gun.

11. A toy gun, the breech portion of said gun being open on top, and a magazine extending upwardly over said gun, said magazine consistwardly over said gun, said magazine consisting of a piece of heavy bent guide wire of inverted U shape, the upper end being curved on a radius large enough to receive cylindrical projectiles for use in the gun, the parallel legs therebeneath being disposed somewhat closer together and dimensioned to fit in circumferential grooves on the projectiles, the lower ends of the legs being bent outwardly enough to clear the projectiles, said gun being made of a single piece of sheet metal bent cyhndrically to form the gun barrel, the breech portion having upwardly projecting sides to freely receive projectiles fed from above, outwardly-projecting ears to receive the lower ends of the magazine guide Wire, and an inwardly projecting stop to prevent rearward movement of the projectiles.

14. A toy tank comprising a tank body, wheels, endless treads around said wheels, a gun projecting from said tank, the breech portion of said gun being open on top, and a magazine extending upwardly over said gun, said magazine consisting of a piece of heavy bent guide wire of inverted U-shape, the upper end being curved on a radius large enough to receive cylindrical projectiles for use in the gun, the parallel legs therebeneath being disposed somewhat closer together and dimensioned to fit in circumferential grooves on the project'les, the lower ends of the legs being bent outwardly enough to clear the projectiles, said gun being made of a single piece of sheet metal bent cylindrically to form the gun barrel, the breech portion having upwardly projecting sides to freely receive projectiles fed from above, outwardly projecting ears to receive the lower ends of the magazine guide wire, an in wardly projecting stop to prevent rearward movement of the projectiles, and a cross plate at the rear end of the gun for connection to the tank body for means of tongue and slot connections, means to eject the lowermost projectile from the gun, and a motor for driving the wheels of the tank and the ejection mechanism of the 15. A toy gun, the breech portion of said gun being open on top, a magazine extending upwardly from said gun, means detachably mounting said magazine in position whereby it may be removed for more compactly packaging the gun, ejection mechanism for the gun, and means for operating the ejection mechanism.

16. A toy tank comprising a tank body, wheels, endless treads around said wheels, a gun projecting from said tank body, the breech portion of said gun being open on top, a magazine extending upwardly from said gun, means detachably mounting said magazine in position whereby it may be removed for more compactly packaging the tank, ejection mechanism for the gun, and a motor in said tank body for operating both the wheels of the tank and the ejection mechanism of the gun.

1'7. A toy gun, the breech portion of said gun being open on top, a magazine extending upwardly from said gun, said magazine consisting of a piece of bent wire of inverted U-shape, the upper end being curved on a radius large enough to receive cylindrical projectiles for use in the gun, the parallel legs therebeneath being disposed somewhat closer together and dimensioned to fit in circumferential grooves on the projectiles, the lower ends of the legs being bent outwardly far enough to clear the projectiles and being detachably received on the gun for more compact packaging of the same, ejection mechanism for the gun, and means for operating the ejection mechanism. I

18. A toy tank comprising a tank body, wheels, endless treads around said wheels, a gun projecting from said tank body, the breech portion of said gun being open on top, a magazine extending upwardly from the tank body over said gun, said magazine consisting of a piece of bent wire of inverted U-shape, the upper end being curved on a radius large enough to receive cylindrical projectiles for use in the gun, the parallel legs therebeneath being disposed somewhat closer together and dimensioned to fit in circum ferential grooves on the projectiles, the lower ends of the legs being bent outwardly enough to clear the projectiles, said magazine being detachably mounted on the tank for more compact packaging of the same, ejection mechanism for the gun, and a motor for driving the wheels of the tank and the ejection mechanism of the gun. 19. A toy tank comprising a tank body, wheels, endless treads around said wheels, a gun projecting from said tank body, the breech portion of said gun being open on top, a magazine extending upwardly fromthe tank body over said gun, said magazine consisting of a piece of bent wire of inverted U-shape, the upper end being curved on a radius large enough to receive cylindrical projectiles for use in the gun, the parallel legs therebeneath being disposed somewhat closer together and dimensioned to fit in circumferential grooves on the projectiles, the lower ends of the legs being bent outwardly enough to clear the projectiles, the open breech portion of the gun having outwardly turned ears with apertures dimensioned to receive the lower ends of the legs of the magazine, the top of the tank body over the breech portion of the gun being cut away for passage of the projectiles, said cut-away portion being notched to receive the wire magazine, said magazine being removable by moving the same upwardly and squeezing the legs together, for more compact packaging of the toy tank, ejection mechanism for the gun, and a motor for driving the wheels of the tank and the ejection mechanism of the y 20. A toy gun, the breech portion of said gun being open on top, and a magazine extending upwardly over said gun, said magazine consisting of a piece of heavy bent guide wire of inverted U-shape, the upper end being curved on a radius large enough to receive cylindrical projectiles for use in the gun, the parallel legs therebeneath being disposed somewhat closer together and dimensioned to fit in circumferential grooves on the projectiles, the lower ends of the legs being bent outwardly to clear the projectiles, the breech portion of the gun being open at the top to freely receive projectiles fed from above, and having mating holes to removably receive the'lower ends of the magazine guide wire.

21. A toy comprising a spring motor having a shaft extending thereacross, a gun disposed transversely over said shaft, a magazine for supporting a series of projectiles over the breech portion of said gun, an ejector spring having its upper end movable in a slot in the breech portion of the gun and having its lower end mounted beneath said gun, a spring-tensioning wheel mounted on said shaft for rotation thereby, said wheel having a part for engaging and bearing against said ejector spring, and means whereby said part bends the ejector spring rearwardly and abruptly releases the same as the motor unwinds, 'portion of said gun, an ejector spring having its but does not bend said ejector spring as the upper end movable ina slot in thebreech per.- motor is being wound, the spring being so shaped tion of the gun and having its lower end mountthat the shaft carrying the wheel does not ined beneath the gun, a spring-tensioning wheel terfere with he desired movement of the spring 5 mounted on said main stem for rotation thereby,

to the stem, gearing betweensaid main stem and 10 unwinds, but does not bend said ejector spring spring may be wound without rotating the gearwheel does not interfere with the desired moveing andthe wheels, a gun projecting from said ment of the spring. tank over said main stem, ia'magazine for sup- :is RICHARD NELSON CARVER. 

